Buddha accuses govt of revenge politics

Terming the arrest of CPM leader Susanta Ghosh as "protihingshar rajneeti" (politics of revenge), former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Friday launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress government for failing to curb violence and implicating CPM members with false charges.

TNN | Aug 13, 2011, 05.50 AM IST

KOLKATA: Terming the arrest of CPM leader Susanta Ghosh as "protihingshar rajneeti" (politics of revenge), former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Friday launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress government for failing to curb violence and implicating CPM members with false charges.

"They have unearthed a 10-year-old-case and implicated Susanta Ghosh. They are setting up inquiry commission on incidents like Sainbari and Marichjhapi which happened decades ago. The accused were cleared of all charges in the court but the government is still setting up commissions to take political revenge against the Leftists," Bhattacharjee told a massive Left rally.

Within a month of coming into power, the chief minister Mamata Banerjee has set up six commissions, including those on 1971 Sain family massacre in Burdwan town where four persons were hacked to death allegedly by Left Front supporters, atrocities on the refugees at Marichjhanpi in 1979 and firing on Congress rally led by Mamata Banerjee on July 21, 1993 which killed 13 supporters.

"When I was the chief minister the Trinamool Congress vandalized the assembly, attacked police stations and slapped police officers, but I didn't take any action against them. The Maoists are regrouping. Instead of curbing this dangerous movement, the state government is busy attacking us," Bhattacharjee said.

"They are killing our supporters, resorting to violence, driving out our workers and supporters from home and capturing our party offices," Bhattacharjee said, alleging that 30 Left Front workers and supporters have been killed since the assembly elections results. A Left Front delegation led by Biman Bose met Governor M K Narayanan and submitted a memorandum.

Earlier, Assembly Opposition leader Surjya Kanta Mishra demanded adjournment of the House to discuss the "reign of terror unleashed by the ruling Trinamool Congress". Mishra alleged that 50 people, including 30 Left workers, were killed and about 2000 injured after the new government assumed office. Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay said that it was matter of general law and order and should be raised during discussion on Home Budget. However, Mishra was allowed to read out the adjournment motion. Mishra claimed nearly 2,000 of their supporters have been rendered homeless, 800 of their party offices have been damaged or captured. Claiming elected panchayat members are being forced to resign, Mishra claimed the government should act immediately on it.

Left members, including former minister Rezzak Mollah, then jumped into the well and rushed to the Speaker's podium and encircled it. The Speaker, however, proceeded with calling attention motions and mention cases. Left legislators then staged a walk out, shouting slogans in the Assembly lobby. Mishra said he wanted only a thirty minute discussion on terror and if the government had good intentions it could have allowed the debate. He said they were compelled to approach Governor M K Narayanan to take up the issue of terror "as we are not able to express our views in the house."

Parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee sharply criticised the bedlam in the Assembly, saying at a time when the chief minister was urging all to meet the disaster in the state, they were choosing to disrupt the Assembly. "It appears they did not learn from the people's mandate. What is their own record in the last 34-years? They have only proved their concern is only for their party and its cadres. They have no intention in participating in the Budget session," he said.

On Friday all the victims families, braving incessant rain, were showcased on a platform in the meeting against the ongoing violence and atrocities on the Leftists. From Birbhum came the widow of Jagannath Lohar, Shyama Lohar. Lohar, a local committee member was killed while he was coming home from the market. Zakir Hussain who was one of the victims of the Maoist violence in Midanapore said, "We, 60 families are homeless from and Murabeni and Salpatra villages in Jhargram. Our 300 bighas of land is lying there. But no one is doing anything to take us back to our home."

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